Google’s Play Store for Android smartphone apps seems to have taken an issue with reporting on cryptocurrencies and blockchain news, taking down several notable apps, including ours.
The newest block?
As of 2:00 PM EST, apps of crypto news sites including Cointelegraph and CoinDesk were unavailable on the Play Store.
Screenshots of results returned for Cointelegraph and CoinDesk
Google did not contact Cointelegraph regarding the planned removal. We have reached out to the company but received no response as of press time. This article will be updated with new information or comment from the company should we receive it.
For Cointelegraph’s part, we have been operating much as we always have, and do not readily have an explanation for why the app is no longer available.
Earlier targeting of crypto
This is not the first time that the Play Store has set its sights on crypto. Near the end of December, the store took down an app for MetaMask. At the time, MetaMask co-lead developer Dan Findlay told Cointelegraph:
“I very much hope that this was an honest mistake on the part of Google’s reviewers, but in combination with all the crypto YouTube bans, it definitely puts me at disease about how Google is engaging with decentralizing technologies.”
Findlay was referring to Youtube’s then-ongoing ban on crypto content, which, though it lasted only a few days, made major waves in the community.
The Google Play store had also previously banned several crypto mining apps.
